Name
by Bandbabe
Summary: Adam gets a call from his birth dad and finds the ties that bind are never easily broken… Three-shot; Fiona/Adam pairing; Senior Year fic!; post-"Long Weekend". *Timeline fic*
1. Chapter 1

"Name"

Summary: Adam gets a call from his birth dad and finds the ties that bind are never easily broken… Three-shot; Fiona/Adam pairing; Senior Year fic!; post-"Long Weekend". *Timeline fic*

Author's Note: I decided to post this tonight! This is a **timeline** fic. It takes place after "Long Weekend" and is set during Adam's senior year at Degrassi. Adam, Fiona, Eli, and Drew are on winter break! Ernesto, Adam's birth dad, was previously mentioned in "The Wedding". He lives in Spain.

This was originally a two-shot, but I decided to cut the first chapter in two. You'll see why…

_**For a full timeline of related stories, view my author's profile.  
><strong>_

Categories: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Family, Friendship

Rating: T (for language)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

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><p>1-<p>

Eli sighed. "This might take all day."

Adam nodded and looked up at Fiona. She also had a weary expression on her face.

The three of them were in the basement of the Torres residence, looking for a specific box of Christmas decorations on his mother's request. It was grunt work, but they were all out of school with lots of free time, so of course she saw fit to put them to work!

Adam was just happy that she allowed him to move around. He was recovering from internal surgery and was on restricted activity until the third week of January. As predicted, the first few days Mrs. Torres had gone overboard with making sure he rested. Luckily she had calmed down and he was able to spend an afternoon unsupervised with his best friend and his girlfriend.

"I think I found it!" Eli declared triumphantly. Fiona walked over to take a look at the box he located.

"Those are Easter decorations," she informed him.

Adam laughed heartily. Eli sent him an annoyed look.

Suddenly they heard a phone ring.

Fiona looked at him. "It sounds like your phone."

Adam raised an eyebrow, wondering who that could be as he reached into his pocket. His parents were upstairs and Drew was taking a nap. He thought of Clare, but she was out of town with her mom and sister for the holidays. He shrugged and opened the phone.

He abruptly grimaced when he recognized the voice on the other end of the line.

"Grace Anna Marconi de Colón! How come you didn't warn us—"

He promptly cut off the speaker.

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME! FUCK YOU!" he roared and snapped the phone shut. He then threw it angrily on the ground. When he looked up Fiona and Eli stared at him, in utter shock. He looked down at his feet and breathed heavily for a few moments.

Fiona was stunned. She had never seen him so angry. It was like a switch was flipped and in seconds he went from calm to erupting in rage!

Eli was also taken aback. There had been only a handful of times that he had witnessed Adam exhibiting such explosive anger. The conflicts with Owen came to mind, but what he just saw stood out. There was an undercurrent of hurt that provided an edge to his words. He could tell the pain was deeply personal.

Adam blinked several times. He was embarrassed at his display, and he could tell that he scared Fiona and Eli.

"Adam, are you alright?" Fiona broke through the silence. She walked towards him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

He took a deep breath before looking up. "I'm sorry about that," he said in soft voice. He struggled to meet her eyes, but was determined to do so. He found her staring back at him deeply concerned.

"Who was that?" Eli asked.

Adam sighed. "My birthfather," he revealed. Fiona and Eli shared a brief look. "He'll call back."

"Will he?" Eli questioned.

Adam nodded. "Oh yeah. He _has_ to have the last word."

True to form, his cell phone rang again from its place on the floor. Fiona started to reach for it, but Adam beat her to it. He met her eyes again.

"Sorry," he whispered.

She moved forward and kissed his cheek. "Don't be," she reassured him. "Let me talk to him."

Adam looked at her uncertain. She smiled and took the phone from him.

"Grace, don't you ever talk to me like that again!" Ernesto demanded angrily.

Fiona stilled herself. "This isn't Adam."

She heard him pause on the other line.

"Oh. Well then, whom I am speaking to?" he asked, in a more restrained tone.

"Fiona Coyne. I'm Adam's girlfriend," she responded. Adam looked at her nervously.

There was another pause.

"So, you're the reason our name has been splashed around in the papers from here to Timbuktu?"

Fiona cracked a small smile upon realizing that Adam had used that saying before. He probably got it from his dad. "I love him and we're not living our lives in hiding," she told him.

Adam and Eli shared a curious look. They couldn't hear what his father was saying to her.

Fiona heard Ernesto scoff. She continued, "Quite frankly, I think we have a bigger issue to deal with and it's how you speak to your son."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Did you hear what he said to me earlier?" Ernesto said incredulously.

"I did. His name is _Adam_. When you call him by the wrong name it's hurtful," Fiona said firmly.

"That's no excuse for his outburst!" Ernesto argued with her. "Besides his legal name is _Gracie_."

"That's not his true name," Fiona refuted. She struggled to keep the anger out of her voice. "You need to understand that you're dealing with a seventeen year old boy who feels deeply offended and rejected every time you refer to him by a name that does not reflect who he is! You're the adult here, and you have to do better."

"Can you put my son on the phone?" he asked curtly. She could tell he was pissed.

Fiona looked at Adam and covered the receiver. "Do you want to talk to him?" she whispered. He nodded. "Alright. Hold on."

.

tbc

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><p><span>AN: They discussed this in "Long Weekend", but apparently Adam's name and association with Fiona has gone public…

**Reviews = Awesome :D**


	2. Chapter 2

"Name" – Part 2

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! :D

To clarify the backstory, he was born Grace Anna Marconi de Colón. Currently, at 17 his legal name is Gracie Torres, though he's in the process of changing it to Adam.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

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><p>2-<p>

Adam took the phone from her. "Thank you," he whispered. He gave her a quick kiss before taking a moment to ready himself. He squared his nerves away before uncovering the receiver. "It's me."

"You're girlfriend seems to think she has everything figured out," Ernesto said pointedly.

"She usually does," Adam quipped. "She is a force to be reckoned with."

His birthfather unexpectedly let out a laugh. "Women," he commiserated.

"Add color to our black and white world," Adam added with a smirk.

Ernesto chuckled again. "True. You sound good… considering everything."

Adam let out a breath. "I am. I'm surrounded by people who love and support me. That's all that matters," he asserted.

Fiona smiled at him.

"Adam… You're young. You can't see things for what they really are. Everyone knows about you. _Everyone_. How can that be okay?" Ernesto challenged.

Eli watched as Adam clinched his jaw. He was worried for his friend and shared a look of concern with Fiona.

"I am who I am. I am a guy who was born in a girl's body, and I can't change that. No matter how much I wish I could." To his annoyance, Adam found himself getting emotional. He fought to keep his voice even.

"But you have a choice–"

"What choice?" Adam yelled.

"You don't have to draw attention to yourself! Dammit, Adam! You don't understand how bad this looks! People in my town are talking about my confused daughter. Your little cousins don't know what to think. I'm asked how come I didn't do more to straighten you out, and honestly I should have!" Ernesto ranted. "A lot of the family is embarrassed and do not want to be associated with your lifestyle."

Adam blinked back tears. "Thanks for that. You were never much of a father, which is why I don't carry your name. Don't call me anymore. It's clear that you don't even like me, let alone love me. I'm sorry I inconvenienced you by being born. Believe me, if I could choose I would have picked another sperm donor." His voice cracked and he jerked the phone away from his ear. It slid from his hand to the floor this time. He didn't have enough anger to throw it. He felt utterly gutted and placed his head in his hands.

Fiona and Eli rushed towards him. She threw her arms around him. After a moment he leaned into her embrace as his shoulders shook.

Eli was at a lost what to do. He stood in front of his friend. "Adam... It's alright, man," he said softly. He wasn't sure what his father said to him, but whatever it was had to be bad to invoke such a strong response. Adam hated crying in front of other people. Eli knew it made him feel weak. After he recovered from his ordeal with Owen, he hadn't seen his friend cry – except for one time when he bid Fiona farewell at the airport.

Fiona softly brushed her boyfriend's hair with her hand. His birth dad was a jackass. She could tell from their brief conversation on the phone. He was all about himself and he was not accepting of Adam, at all. She regretted letting Adam speak to him. His reaction to the first call spoke volumes. In the almost two years they dated, Adam had spoken very little of his birthfather. She knew there was a nasty divorce with his mom when Adam was six years old. And she knew that Mr. Torres later legally adopted Adam, but beyond that she had few details. It never seemed to matter much, but right now she wished she had pressed him to open up more about it. She always figured he'd tell her the whole story when he was ready.

She leaned down close to his ear. "I love you," she said softly.

Eli wasn't sure if he should stay or go. It seemed like a private moment.

Adam slowly looked up and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry," he said quietly.

She shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for," she told him.

Adam snorted. "I complicate everything," he said despondently.

Eli looked at him stunned. He recognized that Adam was in a dark mood, and even though he never met him he wanted to kick his birth father's ass. "That's bullshit, Adam," he stated firmly.

Adam looked at him unconvinced.

"Don't let what he said get to you," Eli urged him.

"He's right," Fiona insisted.

Adam looked down at his hands. "My own father _hates_ me. He thinks I'm a freak and all my relatives on his side are ashamed of me."

"Fuck them!" Eli blurted out. "They don't matter! They weren't part of your life before this came out, so they don't have a say in it now!"

Fiona placed her hands over Adam's. "You're _not_ a freak. You're the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you! Your mom loves you! Drew loves you! Your real dad, Mr. Torres, loves _you_! So do Eli and Clare. Those people in Spain can kick rocks. They aren't your real family. We _are_."

Adam met her eyes. "I know… and I love you." Fiona instantly smiled. "But… why do I have to look like him? I don't get it. Not only was I born in the wrong body, but I have to look like a man who hates me."

Eli quietly wiped a tear from his eye. He rarely cried, but the sound of his friend's voice was heartbreaking. He was an atheist, but at the moment he wished he wasn't so he would have someone to blame for this.

Fiona's smile faltered. She didn't know what to say. She leaned in and gently kissed his lips. After a few seconds, he responded and softly moved against hers. She placed a hand on the back of his head, prolonging the kiss for a few moments longer. When they pulled away, she noted he looked much calmer.

"I love you and everything about you. Including how you look. You're your own person!" she reminded him. She looked deeply into his eyes and added in a light tone, "Besides, the hair is different."

Adam cracked a small smile. "Well, that's something," he quipped. Adam had medium brown hair, whereas his birthfather had dark blond.

Eli smiled relieved. He was hopeful that the worse was over.

Fiona leaned in and kissed Adam again. When she pulled away she ruffled his hair, causing them both to laugh.

.

tbc

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><p><span>AN: Next chapter is the last.

**Reviews rock! :D**

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><p><em>To the folks I cannot directly message:<em>

Anonymous - I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! Thanks for the review :)

FTM Anon - Thanks for the review as well. The answer to your question is at the top.**  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

"Name" – Part 3

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: This is the final part guys! Thanks for the reviews :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

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><p>3-<p>

"You should tell her," Fiona insisted.

Adam sighed as they walked into his room. "I will… but not now." He jumped onto his bed and laid flat on his back. He fixed his eyes on the ceiling.

Fiona sat down next to him. "Adam," she said softly. He looked at her. "You don't have to hold this in."

He clinched his jaw. "I don't want to worry her. She worries too much as it is." Since his name became public his mother feared a backlash from bigots. So far they hadn't heard anything negative directly, but a lot of nasty comments had been written about the couple on the internet. Apparently some people thought it was a 'waste' that a beautiful, rich girl was dating someone like him.

Fiona cupped his cheek. "She deserves to know about this, Adam."

He turned away. "I want to take a nap."

Fiona sighed and slowly stood up. "I'll be downstairs."

Adam nodded and rolled onto his side. She was a little annoyed but brushed it away. She walked to the door and quietly closed it behind her.

Downstairs she saw Drew in the living room with a few friends. They appeared to be old football buddies from Degrassi. The boys looked up and waved at her. She politely waved back, ignoring a couple of obvious leering looks.

"Where's Adam?" Drew asked her.

"He's taking a nap upstairs," she told him.

"Oh," Drew responded. "Is he okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, he's fine."

"Okay," he smiled.

She grinned. Drew was a great brother. "I'll let you get back to your game," she told him. The boys had been playing Halo.

He nodded and she started towards the kitchen. As she walked away she overheard one of Drew friends say, "Dude, if she was my girl I wouldn't let her out of my sight!"

Drew quickly responded, "Shut up. Keep your eyes on the game."

She smiled and entered the kitchen. She saw Adam's mom chopping vegetables on the counter.

"Hello Audra," Fiona greeted her.

Mrs. Torres looked up and smiled. "Fiona, how are you, dear?" she said warmly.

"I'm fine. Adam's upstairs taking a nap," Fiona told her.

"That's just as well. Dinner won't be ready for another forty minutes or so," Audra remarked. She placed freshly chopped onions into a pan. "It's good that he's resting. I know he thinks he's invincible, but he needs to slow down and allow his body to recover from surgery."

Fiona nodded. "Yeah." She watched as his mom added seasoning to a sauce.

"Is something on your mind?" Audra inferred. Five minutes had passed. Fiona didn't cook so she doubted the girl found her preparing dinner interesting.

Fiona looked up. She opened her mouth and then closed it.

Audra cracked a small smile. She was an expert at reading her sons and knew whenever they were withholding something. This skill was transferrable to Fiona and she knew there was something weighing on her.

"I think you should speak to Adam," Fiona said quietly. She hoped he wouldn't be mad at her for this.

Audra blinked. "Is something wrong?"

Fiona took a deep breath. "He got a call. From Spain."

Audra paused as possible scenarios ran through her head. "Ernesto?" she questioned.

Fiona nodded.

"What did he say?" Audra pressed.

Fiona looked uncomfortable. "You should speak with Adam," she repeated.

Audra closed her eyes for a brief moment. If he said something to upset her son, so help her she would… She stopped herself from finishing the thought. Right now assessing how Adam was doing was more important.

Fiona looked on cautiously. She wondered if she did the right thing by telling Adam's mother about the phone call from his birth dad. She watched as the woman rinsed her hands in the sink and quickly dried them.

"Can you watch the rice?" Audra dictated. Seeing Fiona's confused face she added, "Just make sure the bottom doesn't burn, okay?"

Fiona nodded. The older woman turned away and exited the kitchen.

-oOo-

Adam groaned when he heard a knock on the door. "I'm sleeping!" he yelled.

His words had no effect, as the door sprung open. He looked up and saw his mother enter his room. She had a determined look on her face.

"Mom?" he questioned.

She was silent for a moment. "How come you didn't tell me that you heard from him?"

Adam frowned and looked away. "Fiona told you?" he said pointedly.

"Of course she did!" Audra answered and sat down in his computer chair. "My question was, how come it wasn't you?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "I didn't want you to worry. It was nothing."

Audra snorted. "If that were true, how come you won't look at me?"

Adam turned to his mother. "There! Are you happy now?" he said sarcastically.

"What did Ernesto say to you?" she asked.

Adam sighed. "What makes you think it was anything bad?" She always jumped to the worst conclusions.

"Because I can see the sadness in your eyes," she answered honestly.

Adam looked away.

"What did he say this time?" Audra said gently.

Thinking about their earlier conversation made him emotional again. He tried to fight it. "The usual. He never fails to remind me that he wishes I was normal," Adam said bitterly.

Audra narrowed her eyes. She hated that Ernesto didn't accept their son. He knew Adam was different early on and she hated the way he would always try to 'correct' any nongender-conforming behavior. He brought 'Grace' dolls she didn't want and pink clothes she refused to wear. As their marriage faltered, he withdrew as a father yet blamed Audra from alienating him from their child in the divorce!

"That bastard," Audra said under her breath.

Adam heard her and cracked a small grin. "I hate him too."

She looked up. "You shouldn't say that about your father," she told him.

Adam frowned. "My father is Omar Torres!" he shouted.

His mother suddenly laughed and after a moment he joined in. She walked over to her son and sat next to him on the bed.

"And don't you forget it," she smiled. She pulled Adam into a hug.

They spoke for a while longer before excused herself to check on the food. Before leaving, she paused at the door.

"Adam, don't hold it against Fiona that she told me about this. That girl loves you and was concerned."

Adam slowly nodded. "I know… but I asked her not to." He was a little upset that she went against his wishes.

Audra sighed. "She_ loves_ you. You need to know when to let things go. Choose your battles wisely."

After his mom left, Adam thought about her words. He saw that she had a point. When he heard a knock on the door he looked up again. "Come in," he called out.

Fiona slowly opened the door. She peered at him cautiously. "Hey," she said uncertain, as she closed the door behind her.

Adam looked at her for a moment with a small grin. "Come here," he said and held out his arms.

Fiona walked over and readily eased into his welcoming embrace. She was relieved that he didn't seem angry with her.

Adam kissed the side of her head. "I love you. Thanks."

She pulled back a little, so that she could see his eyes. "I love you, too."

.

-FIN-

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><p><span>AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this story! It was heavy, but in life there are highs and lows. This story takes place in December of Adam's senior year, and it's apparent that his relationship with his mother has come a long way since the start of the timeline fics.

In "You Don't Want Me" Audra didn't even want him to talk about his girlfriend (see chapter 19). Up until "Radiate" she was openly hostile! (chapters 19 and 21!) Now they are in a really good place. The events of "Blood On The Ground" and "How To Save A Life" had a huge hand in making them all realize how fragile life can be and to cherish each other because you don't know what tomorrow brings.

As for Adam and Fiona, their relationship keeps getting stronger. And five years after this story they're newlyweds! (Check out the fic "Out" if you haven't! Will update tomorrow!)

Anyway, thanks for reading! There are more timeline fics on the way.

-Cheers!


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